Indigenous prisoner used pencil sharpener and tweezers on ingrown toenail after healthcare delay

Victorian ombudsman’s report says prison system is failing to meet needs of Aboriginal people, which is ‘wrong and discriminatory’

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An Indigenous prisoner used a pencil sharpener and tweezers to treat an ingrown toenail after delays in seeing a doctor to assess the painful condition, with the Victorian ombudsman criticising the healthcare provided to First Nations people in custody.

In a report into the healthcare for Indigenous prisoners, tabled in parliament on Wednesday, the ombudsman said the lack of input from First Nations people into the culturally informed policies was having a “devastating” effect on their health outcomes.

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